News:

Welcome to our site!

Main Menu

Unbelievable!

Started by arbaim, November 08, 2013, 01:47:29 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

arbaim

...

stromboli

Welcome. You are not alone. There are a few people on here with similar stories. This shows how divisive religion can be. Faith trumps family bonds without any attempt to prove their beliefs. I lost a few brothers and sisters when I left Mormonism, but that isn't as harsh as what you are going through.

PickelledEggs

Oh man. That is very sad to hear. :(  Anyway, welcome. We got your back. :)

Jason78

Family eh?


Welcome to the forum.
Winner of WitchSabrinas Best Advice Award 2012


We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real
tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. -Plato

Brian37

I get so angry at PC atheists and liberal theists when they say "don't pick on religion". This is why religion needs to be challenged. I was lucky myself because my mom never really shoved it down my throat, but when I did come out she did see it as a "phase", which she knows now it is not.

But far too many in ALL religions get treated like this. My younger sister caught crap when she made her atheism public to the family. I've had someone try to have me fired, and been shouted at in public for someone merely seeing the word on a bumpersticker or hat.

There are still states where an atheist cannot sit on a jury or hold even a dog catcher's job. There are atheists overseas who have been murdered for speaking out.

You are never going to rid 7 billion people of all their delusions, but religion must be treated as the loaded gun it is, through challenging and questioning.

Rest assured you are NOT alone.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers." Obama
Poetry By Brian37 Like my poetry on Facebook Under BrianJames Rational Poet and also at twitter under Brianrrs37

SGOS

That must have been the longest text message anyone has ever sent.  Good thing she ended it with ".M".  Otherwise, it may have been excessive in length.

There are a lot of people who get emotional about their religion.  They are more emotional than thoughtful about their place in the universe.  When they feel threatened, they don't think.  They become emotional.  

They may not be as important as they have been taught to believe (You know:  Being made in the image of a God [a God, mind you], being looked after by an all powerful Force that could smite down their foes, and all the other ego inflating bullshit that religions promise).  Well, it's just a bummer facing the fact that you simply aren't that special.  You might die and that might just be the end.  I see why they go nuts.  They are overly ego involved about their place in the universe.

Mermaid

This kind of thing is a reminder of how pervasive religion is. Being an atheist is akin to being a child porn addict in some circles. Your story is a reminder that I am lucky to be surrounded by people who are either nonreligious or more apathetic about it than your people. How smothering and terrible that would be to live amongst that.

What a great example of Christianity to tell your child that you DESPISE them because they don't believe in God. Shame on her. And I am sorry you've been hurt like this by your own mother for being honest with her about who you are. That hardly seems Christian to me. And at its most basic level, it's complete disrespect.

Coming out as an atheist is a lot like coming out as a homosexual to some. I am very grateful that I don't have such judgment and disrespect in my family, or I would certainly resent them secretly while hiding my true self from them, and being the person I am, I'd probably hide it forever. It's enough to have to keep it to myself professionally, but not being able to be honest with my own family for fear of being ostracized would be very hard. So you have my respect for being able to tell your family knowing how it would go over. But it's out there. I hope they don't harass you to death over it.
A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life’s realities â€" all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. -TR

Mermaid

Quote from: "Brian37"I get so angry at PC atheists and liberal theists when they say "don't pick on religion". This is why religion needs to be challenged.
Isn't picking on religion the same as picking on atheists? I resent people proselytizing to me, so I wouldn't do it to anyone else. I think coming from either side, it is fundamentally disrespectful.
A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life’s realities â€" all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. -TR

Aupmanyav

I agree with that. Perhaps you can make up with her at least for the time being. Go when you have to go, but not so abruptly.
"Brahma Satyam Jagan-mithya" (Brahman is the truth, the observed is an illusion)
"Sarve Khalu Idam Brahma" (All this here is Brahman)

Solitary

:-D  Welcome aboard arbaim! It's really a shame when people love superstitious nonsense and an imaginary figure more than their own flesh and blood. To be out of touch with reality to that degree is insane in my opinion. I  never had that kind of problem even though my mother was a Southern Methodist and could have periods of temporary insanity where she got totally out of control and suicidal and tried to take me with her when I was very young. Solitary
There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.

Brian37

Quote from: "Mermaid"
Quote from: "Brian37"I get so angry at PC atheists and liberal theists when they say "don't pick on religion". This is why religion needs to be challenged.
Isn't picking on religion the same as picking on atheists? I resent people proselytizing to me, so I wouldn't do it to anyone else. I think coming from either side, it is fundamentally disrespectful.

What the fuck? Sorry, demands of taboos do not solve shit. They can make whatever naked assertion they want, but that does not mean because I support their right to spout bullshit that the claim deserves taboo status.

The earth is not flat, the moon is not made of cheese and the Yankees did not win the Superbowl. There is no such thing as virgin births, or zombie gods. No one is going to get a harem in a fictional afterlife. Rubbing a fat man statue will not bring you luck. Ouija Boards are bullshit too.

Do not equate skeptics to fundies merely because we call out a bad claim for what it is.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers." Obama
Poetry By Brian37 Like my poetry on Facebook Under BrianJames Rational Poet and also at twitter under Brianrrs37

Mermaid

Quote from: "Brian37"
Quote from: "Mermaid"
Quote from: "Brian37"I get so angry at PC atheists and liberal theists when they say "don't pick on religion". This is why religion needs to be challenged.
Isn't picking on religion the same as picking on atheists? I resent people proselytizing to me, so I wouldn't do it to anyone else. I think coming from either side, it is fundamentally disrespectful.

What the fuck? Sorry, demands of taboos do not solve shit. They can make whatever naked assertion they want, but that does not mean because I support their right to spout bullshit that the claim deserves taboo status.

The earth is not flat, the moon is not made of cheese and the Yankees did not win the Superbowl. There is no such thing as virgin births, or zombie gods. No one is going to get a harem in a fictional afterlife. Rubbing a fat man statue will not bring you luck. Ouija Boards are bullshit too.

Do not equate skeptics to fundies merely because we call out a bad claim for what it is.
I think you are reading way more into what I said than you should. What do you mean by demands of taboos?
Not proselytizing doesn't mean you are supporting anything. What is the point of telling people they are wrong?
A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life’s realities â€" all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. -TR

Brian37

Quote from: "Mermaid"I think you are reading way more into what I said than you should. What do you mean by demands of taboos?
Not proselytizing doesn't mean you are supporting anything. What is the point of telling people they are wrong?

Religion advertises in the public and on private media all the time. It is not "proselytizing" to take them on on their turf using the same public and private media. If humans never questioned social norms our species never would have left the caves.

Theists make outrageous fantastic claims, and sell them everywhere. They dumb down society and vote on those fantastic claims with no evidence. They attack science instead of accepting it and insist on infecting education as well. While I cannot stop them from making the attempt, I certainly am going to use the same venues and media to call them out on their bad claims.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers." Obama
Poetry By Brian37 Like my poetry on Facebook Under BrianJames Rational Poet and also at twitter under Brianrrs37

Mermaid

Quote from: "Brian37"
Quote from: "Mermaid"I think you are reading way more into what I said than you should. What do you mean by demands of taboos?
Not proselytizing doesn't mean you are supporting anything. What is the point of telling people they are wrong?

Religion advertises in the public and on private media all the time. It is not "proselytizing" to take them on on their turf using the same public and private media. If humans never questioned social norms our species never would have left the caves.

Theists make outrageous fantastic claims, and sell them everywhere. They dumb down society and vote on those fantastic claims with no evidence. They attack science instead of accepting it and insist on infecting education as well. While I cannot stop them from making the attempt, I certainly am going to use the same venues and media to call them out on their bad claims.
Ok, fair enough. That's your choice to make. I think it's stooping to their level and I won't do it. Everyone's different, I spose. That's what makes the world go around.
A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticise work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life’s realities â€" all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. -TR

Brian37

Quote from: "Mermaid"
Quote from: "Brian37"
Quote from: "Mermaid"I think you are reading way more into what I said than you should. What do you mean by demands of taboos?
Not proselytizing doesn't mean you are supporting anything. What is the point of telling people they are wrong?

Religion advertises in the public and on private media all the time. It is not "proselytizing" to take them on on their turf using the same public and private media. If humans never questioned social norms our species never would have left the caves.

Theists make outrageous fantastic claims, and sell them everywhere. They dumb down society and vote on those fantastic claims with no evidence. They attack science instead of accepting it and insist on infecting education as well. While I cannot stop them from making the attempt, I certainly am going to use the same venues and media to call them out on their bad claims.
Ok, fair enough. That's your choice to make. I think it's stooping to their level and I won't do it. Everyone's different, I spose. That's what makes the world go around.

"Stooping to their level"?

No, I don't pass laws oppressing others. I don't get violent when I get offended.

Being politically correct to placate the insecurities of people with naked assertions does not help humanity, otherwise we'd still believe the sun rotates around the earth.

"Everyone is different". NO SHIT.

Don't remember the source of this quote but "We are all entitled to our own opinions, but none of us are entitled to our own facts."

Since when is mentally growing up and giving up on bad information a bad thing? And why shouldn't we challenge absurd claims?

Don't confuse blasphemy and ridicule as being the same as oppressing others. Oppressing others is when you use laws and violence.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers." Obama
Poetry By Brian37 Like my poetry on Facebook Under BrianJames Rational Poet and also at twitter under Brianrrs37